


Idiot.

by HexingQueen



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Friendship, Gen, for Kiera, loosely based off summer scramble
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-19
Updated: 2016-11-19
Packaged: 2018-08-31 19:37:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8591053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HexingQueen/pseuds/HexingQueen
Summary: Short Tharja/Cordelia friendship drabble; loosely based off their summer scramble conversations.





	

_“Idiot.”_

Cordelia found herself being called that perhaps more often than she would like.

She had made an odd friend in Tharja.

In fact, she hadn’t even _intended_ a friendship that day she approached the Mage at the beach. Perhaps a chat, perhaps some advice, and that would be it. And even that hadn’t worked out – she had been greeted with threats and… strangely high pitched giggling, instead.

A stupid first conversation to have with one such as Tharja, really – fashion indeed. And she had felt awfully guilty once she brought up the topic of the Plegian’s self-consciousness.

So, truly, she had no idea why a bond had been formed between them.

Perhaps it was – and this was highly unlikely in Cordelia’s mind – that Tharja felt a little guilty for dispelling the Pegasus rider’s ideas. Perhaps she had taken pity on the redhead and decided to tag alongside her for a while. Perhaps (and she dearly hoped this was _not_ the case) she was simply analysing her moves so she knew when to hex her.

But there was such a way that Tharja spoke to her that made her doubt any of those things were the case.

It wasn't the same quiet, almost caring voice the mage used when speaking to her husband – it wasn't the strangely relaxed and nurturing voice used for Nowi or Noire.

But it still was not her usual harsh tone. It still was not dripping with sarcasm and snarky remarks – not snappy and cold, not patronising or ridiculing.

It was just very… simple. Soft.

Of course, there was still the sarcasm. There were still the threats and the insults… definitely the insults.

But even then, it wasn't serious. Both parties knew she wasn't _really_ going to turn red hair to worms; both knew she wasn't really going to turn pale skin to green welts.

Though it was a friendship built on raised eyebrows across the mess hall and exchanged smirks when Vaike said something utterly ridiculous ( _‘disgustingly stupid and foolhardy’_ as Tharja put it), Cordelia found herself valuing it above a lot of other things.

Because, though she did love all her friends, and she wouldn't give them up for the world, there were times she needed the harsh, bitter truth – there were times she needed the odd sort of love and support that came along with detailed explanations of ways to kill all those who dared offend her.

And the raven-haired girl had an odd way, too, of being incredibly honed to her friend’s emotions. What would have been written off as a sign of tiredness by Sumia and a sign of weakness by Panne was instead met by a flurry of questions and answers and… admittedly, threats… by Tharja.

It was, however, on one note that Cordelia felt herself feel immensely guilty for her reasoning.

You see, she found herself almost positively _unable_ to feel jealous of Tharja.

They were so different in every way that she did not have to worry about Tharja taking any of her dreams.

The mage was beautiful, yes – stunning, even – but in such a different way to Cordelia it almost didn’t matter. The sleek black hair, the violet eyes, the small frame and curling eyelashes – the girl was the living embodiment of Plegia. And so, by Cordelia’s logic, if anybody was attracted to Tharja, then Cordelia didn't stand a chance in the first place, anyway.

Besides, Tharja had married Gaius. And though Cordelia had no issues against him – in fact, she could safely say they were friends – he just wasn't her _type_. If anything, she saw him as a responsibility more than anything else. And she truly was happy for the couple – though Unexpectedly sickly sometimes and a little… _strange_ , they really were a perfect match. And anyway, Cordelia was extremely content with Stahl, so there was no fuss.

A most damaging component of her friendship with Sumia over the years had been the pure jealousy the redhead felt for the other. In looks, in love, in skills – they were so similar, and yet just _that_ bit different that it was hard not to resent her.

And so Cordelia had spent many a night deliberating whether, deep down, the only reason she was friends with Tharja was because she did not feel as though the girl was a competition.

Of course, when she finally built up the courage to ask Tharja her thoughts, she was met with the perfect response;

_“Don’t be an idiot. If that was the case, you wouldn't bother trying to do things for me. And if it were the case… I would have realised and either left you or killed you a long, long time ago.”_

Such a blunt reply had given the Ylissian some hope.

And it really was on the cold winter nights when the two sat by the fire and Tharja strongly reminded Cordelia that she was so much _better_ than Chrom, that she was a unique and amazing person in her own right, and that any who hurt her would face withering away to nothing over the course of a year, that Cordelia realised she was not simply friends with her due to a lack of jealousy at all.

It was – and she would never really believe she had found such a friend in arguably the most judged, untrusted and disliked person in the army – a pure, honest friendship built on mutual trust, support, shared interests, and similar experiences.

So, yes, it was an odd friendship. It confused people - hell, it confused Tharja and Cordelia themselves.

Though, as a wise man ( _‘a total idiot’_ according to Tharja) once said, it is often the most unexpected things in life that are the most rewarding.

And so, every time Cordelia is met with Tharja rolling her eyes and calling her idiot with such a subtle fondness in her words, the redhead can only bring herself to smile.

_“I love you too.”_

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Kudos is appreciated.


End file.
